Direct-Response Marketing Copywriter Tom Trush | Advertisements, Website Content, E-mail Autoresponders, Sales Letters

A Marketing Crash Course in Just 22 Minutes

It’s the end of January — how are your new 2012 marketing goals coming along?

Last Wednesday, I gave two presentations about the marketing shift going on with today’s consumers. What I love about talking to groups is you get immediate insight into what’s holding back business owners and entrepreneurs in their marketing.

What I noticed on Wednesday was a common theme …

Many people feel so overwhelmed with marketing options that they can’t decide where to focus their attention. So they often do nothing at all.

This is one reason why I created my Personal Marketing Multiplier Partnership. (Reminder: Partner requests are due this Friday.) It’s also why I deliver so many marketing tips and strategies in my e-mails to you.

Recently, I shared a slew of marketing ideas on Danielle Hampson’s The Business Authors Show. During the 22-minute interview, I crammed in as many tips and strategies as Danielle allowed me.

We covered the most critical (and common) mistakes … fundamental marketing items … conquering larger competitors … using persuasive words … writing effective e-mails … marketing without a budget … and much more.

But you must hurry to hear the interview. Danielle will only keep it on her site for 48 hours. Go to http://www.thebusinessauthorsshow.com.

If you missed my announcement about the Personal Marketing Multiplier Partnership, check it out here: http://archive.aweber.com/wwsnewsletter/56X7A.

Continue reading...

Marketing’s Monumental Shift (watch this video)

Ever feel like the marketing game has changed and you’ve been left sitting on the sidelines?

Check out the following video. It explains a phenomenon affecting many in the business community. The video is also the trailer for my new book, The ‘You’ Effect: How to Transform Ego-Based Marketing Into Captivating Messages That Create Customers.

Understand you’re not along in seeing a marketing shift. Just yesterday, The Wall Street Journal ran an article detailing Target’s troubles in dealing with a more connected and educated consumer. If a corporate giant is screaming for help, then you know we’re up against a serious issue.

If you’re on one of my e-mail lists, watch your inbox tomorrow morning. I’m announcing a new one-on-one marketing service that will help you get back in the marketing game.

And don’t worry … it’s not some pitch for a product promising improbable profits. Haven’t we seen enough of those already?

By the way, if you want to come along on the marketing journey for my second book, join me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tomtrush.

Continue reading...

Social Media Strategies That Silence Skeptics

How many times have you watched someone conquer one of your most difficult challenges with relative ease?

I’m going through this experience right now while following Alan Rudnick’s activities on social media. Thanks to his involvement on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as frequent blogging, Alan is often featured in major media and has even secured a multi-book deal with a publisher.

And get this … he’s not a conventional social media “guru.” In fact, he doesn’t even work in what many would consider a traditional business.

He’s the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa in Ballston Spa, New York.

How cool is that?

I repeatedly hear business owners and entrepreneurs claim social media won’t work for them. Reasons range from the standard “My prospects are different.” to “My industry doesn’t lend well to social media.”

But Alan’s achievements prove these theories wrong.

During my 42-minute interview with Alan, you’ll discover several social media strategies that silence skeptics, as well as …

•    The best defense against falling into “social media fatigue” and how to ensure automated tools don’t cause you to lose your personal touch with followers.

•    The surprisingly simple key to finding the most beneficial people to interact with on social networking sites (and why prospects aren’t the only people needing your attention).

•    How leveraging a certain type of news event in your blog posts can help you boost readership and attract inquiries from major media.

•    The surest way to get a quick response from almost anyone you follow, including industry experts and well-known celebrities.

•    An easy approach to establishing yourself as an authority (and therefore a source media members want to interview) on global news topics.

•    Why having a large audience on social media can sabotage your success.

•    And much more.

Get this exclusive interview by clicking or downloading the following MP3 link: http://mktgmaterials.s3.amazonaws.com/alanrudnick.mp3.

You can also read the transcript here: http://mktgmaterials.s3.amazonaws.com/socialmediastrategies.pdf.

Continue reading...

How to Incorporate Press Releases Into Your Marketing Strategy

The press release (or news release) has progressed …

When I entered the newswire business in early 1999, press releases were primarily used by big corporations (especially public companies) to announce major events to journalists.

These days, press releases are no longer just a way to reach media in hopes of getting featured in an article or news story. The audience is much larger now and, thanks to distribution options on the Internet, includes direct access to your buyers.

So what’s this mean for you?

Well, first and foremost, you can’t limit yourself to only sending press releases for major news announcements. Instead, view your press releases as another vehicle for driving your marketing message to prospects.

With a quick mouse click, you can distribute your press releases to the same circuits, including thousands of online news services and websites, as the corporate giants. Here are a few options to help you get started:

•    BusinessWire
•    PRNewswire
•    PRWeb

As for free options, I find PRLog helpful.

When you write your press releases, forget about what you want. Instead, focus on how you can inform and/or entertain the media’s audience. If possible, tie in your topic to a current event.

Also, put yourself in a reporter or producer’s shoes. Their audiences demand unique, fresh and relevant information every day. And unless you’re Apple, Ford, Microsoft, Amazon.com or a similar corporate heavyweight, the media has little need for a pitch about your new product, website or client.

Recently, I sent out a press release that resulted in a 950-word feature in a business publication. The primary content did not include a single word describing my services. Instead, I focused on a topic I knew the publication’s audience (business owners and executives) would find helpful.

(You can view the press release here: http://www.prlog.org/11748917-why-marketing-does-not-drive-business-profits.html.)

Shelf life is another benefit of posting your press releases online. Your news can stick around the Internet for years. So if you optimize your content well with keywords and incorporate links back to your website, your press releases can generate traffic for a long time.

Last week, an editor contacted me because he had space to fill and needed an article fast. After we determined a topic, I scoured the Internet for a source. The person I contacted for my article was listed on a press release that originally ran seven months ago.

So, if you haven’t already, begin developing relationships with media members. Pay attention to the writers, reporters, editors and producers who cover topics relevant to your industry. Your effort will improve your chances of becoming a source and help you generate ideas for press release topics.

Continue reading...

Tim Tebow’s Heroics (Again) Provide Marketing Lessons for Business Professionals

Lost in the late-game heroics repeatedly performed by Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow are the lessons his brand offers businesses wanting to enhance their marketing efforts.

Few athletes have captured the nation’s attention more in recent years than Tebow. This fact alone should serve as a wake-up call for businesses wanting to get their brands in front of more eyeballs.

The key characteristic that makes Tebow noteworthy off the football field is his polarizing personality. His religious beliefs are well-publicized, creating a long list of critics. But as his detractors voice their disapproval, his support grows and his advocates get more vocal.

Too often businesses are concerned with pleasing everyone and targeting their marketing messages to the masses. But as marketing legend Dan Kennedy said, “If you’re not pissing off at least one person a day, you’re not doing something right.”

Here are three more marketing lessons Tebow’s heroics offer:

•    The best isn’t always the most successful. Tebow has talent, but he’s not the NFL’s most gifted quarterback. What he does best is lead and leverage his teammates’ strengths. In marketing, you must resist the urge to try doing everything yourself.

•    Dare to be different. You can’t compare Tebow to any other player — he’s unique. When you market the same way as your competitors, you level the playing field. But when you’re different, you attract attention.

•    Always play hard. His late-game heroics prove Tebow doesn’t give up. Just like football, you can’t play the marketing game and give minimal effort. Even if at first your efforts don’t generate the results you desire, you must keep moving forward.

The Tebow bandwagon has even moved into the presidential election, with politicians Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry comparing themselves to the former University of Florida signal caller.

Continue reading...